How about a little 'Quantum Change?'

Published: Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, August 11, 2007 at 10:28 p.m.

Campaigns are ramping up in advance of the Oct. 20 elections, and we’re about to hear a lot of promises about how each candidate will make our world a better place.

It’s as good a time as any to check in with the Council for a Better Louisiana to see how far the promises of the past have gotten our state on a host of quality-of-life issues – and how far we have to go. Specifically, let’s turn to this nonpartisan citizens-advocacy group’s “Louisiana Fact Book for the 2007 Election,” which you can find in its entirety at CABL’s Web site, www.cabl.org.

“This is a year when people will be looking for an action plan that will push Louisiana forward toward a future that matches the potential we have always had,” the 24-page report’s introduction reads. “But it all starts with information. You have to know where you are before you can chart a course to where you want to be.”

So, where do we stand?

“To be perfectly honest,” CABL says, “not very well-positioned.”

Recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita have understandably demanded the state’s attention and will continue to do so for years, the group says. But Louisiana was, by many measures, in “dire straits” before the storms, ranking among the worst in the nation when it comes to quality-of-life indicators like poverty, education, economic performance and health. People were leaving in droves, and one national publication ranked Louisiana one of the least livable states in the nation. The storms have made many of those problems worse.

“As we continue to work on recovery in those areas hardest hit by the storms, we must regain our focus in identifying the things Louisiana must do to move off the bottom of all those lists,” CABL says. “Incremental progress will not get us there. We need to take big steps. Quantum leaps.”

The group is pushing what it calls a “Quantum Change Agenda,” a list of specific actions and reforms that address areas that need improvement, things like education, governmental ethics, economic growth and diversity and improved health care.

One area Houma-Thibodaux residents will be interested in is coastal restoration and hurricane protection. CABL calls for political leaders to support the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority’s “Comprehensive Master Plan for A Sustainable Coast.” But it goes further, insisting that politicians and residents “ensure that it is a comprehensive plan based on the best available science and engineering.”

“The long-term success of this effort will require focus, strong civic and political will at both the state and national levels, commitment from the scientific and engineering communities and sustained financing over decades,” CABL says. “It will also take some sacrifice and tough decisions. Not every area can be restored or saved at this point. Preserving some areas could cause additional wetland damage. These are harsh realities, but ones we will have to deal with.

“Going forward, the state and federal governments will need to support independent citizen and internal oversight and accountability in areas such as science, policy, spending and the impacts caused by these projects. The undertaking is huge. But to not embark on major projects in the very near future is unthinkable and irresponsible.”

CABL is holding candidates for governor and state Legislature accountable for addressing its Quantum Change Agenda. The group has already scheduled two televised gubernatorial debates, and it has started posting candidates’ answers to questionnaires on its Web site.

Voters who want to fulfill their responsibility to educate themselves before casting ballots this fall will find CABL’s Web site a good place to start. You’ll fund an unbiased, and sometimes brutally honest, assessment of where our state stands and some thought-provoking recommendations on what it will take to make things better.

“For Louisiana, the 2007 state elections will be unlike any in memory,” CABL says. “Term limits will create a Legislature that will be filled with many new faces. There will be an unprecedented number of contested seats. And that means real campaigns.

“At the same time, those who win will face huge challenges – not only the continued recovery of south Louisiana but the need to make dramatic changes to move our state forward. Candidates will no doubt talk in platitudes, but voters will be expecting substance.”

Will they? We’ll see.

Courier Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com.

<p>Campaigns are ramping up in advance of the Oct. 20 elections, and we’re about to hear a lot of promises about how each candidate will make our world a better place.</p><p>It’s as good a time as any to check in with the Council for a Better Louisiana to see how far the promises of the past have gotten our state on a host of quality-of-life issues – and how far we have to go. Specifically, let’s turn to this nonpartisan citizens-advocacy group’s Louisiana Fact Book for the 2007 Election, which you can find in its entirety at CABL’s Web site, www.cabl.org.</p><p>This is a year when people will be looking for an action plan that will push Louisiana forward toward a future that matches the potential we have always had, the 24-page report’s introduction reads. But it all starts with information. You have to know where you are before you can chart a course to where you want to be.</p><p>So, where do we stand?</p><p>To be perfectly honest, CABL says, not very well-positioned.</p><p>Recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita have understandably demanded the state’s attention and will continue to do so for years, the group says. But Louisiana was, by many measures, in dire straits before the storms, ranking among the worst in the nation when it comes to quality-of-life indicators like poverty, education, economic performance and health. People were leaving in droves, and one national publication ranked Louisiana one of the least livable states in the nation. The storms have made many of those problems worse.</p><p>As we continue to work on recovery in those areas hardest hit by the storms, we must regain our focus in identifying the things Louisiana must do to move off the bottom of all those lists, CABL says. Incremental progress will not get us there. We need to take big steps. Quantum leaps.</p><p>The group is pushing what it calls a Quantum Change Agenda, a list of specific actions and reforms that address areas that need improvement, things like education, governmental ethics, economic growth and diversity and improved health care.</p><p>One area Houma-Thibodaux residents will be interested in is coastal restoration and hurricane protection. CABL calls for political leaders to support the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority’s Comprehensive Master Plan for A Sustainable Coast. But it goes further, insisting that politicians and residents ensure that it is a comprehensive plan based on the best available science and engineering.</p><p>The long-term success of this effort will require focus, strong civic and political will at both the state and national levels, commitment from the scientific and engineering communities and sustained financing over decades, CABL says. It will also take some sacrifice and tough decisions. Not every area can be restored or saved at this point. Preserving some areas could cause additional wetland damage. These are harsh realities, but ones we will have to deal with.</p><p>Going forward, the state and federal governments will need to support independent citizen and internal oversight and accountability in areas such as science, policy, spending and the impacts caused by these projects. The undertaking is huge. But to not embark on major projects in the very near future is unthinkable and irresponsible.</p><p>CABL is holding candidates for governor and state Legislature accountable for addressing its Quantum Change Agenda. The group has already scheduled two televised gubernatorial debates, and it has started posting candidates’ answers to questionnaires on its Web site.</p><p>Voters who want to fulfill their responsibility to educate themselves before casting ballots this fall will find CABL’s Web site a good place to start. You’ll fund an unbiased, and sometimes brutally honest, assessment of where our state stands and some thought-provoking recommendations on what it will take to make things better.</p><p>For Louisiana, the 2007 state elections will be unlike any in memory, CABL says. Term limits will create a Legislature that will be filled with many new faces. There will be an unprecedented number of contested seats. And that means real campaigns.</p><p>At the same time, those who win will face huge challenges – not only the continued recovery of south Louisiana but the need to make dramatic changes to move our state forward. Candidates will no doubt talk in platitudes, but voters will be expecting substance.</p><p>Will they? We’ll see.</p><p>Courier Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com.</p>